Meet the North East Emerging Artist Who's Exhibiting at Seaton Delaval Hall
Newcastle University graduate Lucy Waters is one of three winners of the North East Emerging Artist Award
Lucy says she’s been into art for as long as she can remember. ‘I’ve always drawn, all the way through school,’ she says. A recent graduate from Newcastle University, Lucy studied for a masters in Fine Art and is now emerging onto the North East’s art scene. ‘Because it was 2021 when I was in my final year of my undergraduate programme, and I was studying during the pandemic, I decided I would move onto the MSE because I wasn’t ready to finish exploring what I was doing at that time,’ Lucy continues. ‘It’s been nice to have that duration to see my work develop. It’s been a really interesting process. This is the first time that I’ve felt like I’ve got a good grip on what I’m making, whereas I’ve sort of doubted myself in the past.’
Following her degree and graduate shows, Lucy had two of her pieces sent to be displayed in London. ‘It was great to get them somewhere prominent in the arts scene so soon,’ she says. ‘Since then I’ve been involved in various exhibitions. I’ve had work at The Redcar Palace, The Customs House in South Shields and I’ve had an exhibition with No More Nowt in Peterlee. More recently, I was lucky enough to have an exhibition [at the Bridge Gallery] in Tynemouth Metro station and in the Baltic Open Submission 2024.’
The Baltic Open Submission exhibition is on display until 22nd September. ‘It’s nice that within that exhibition there are a few artists I know (whether they’re from the art department or I’ve exhibited with them before). It’s been really nice to hear some feedback, especially from those who’ve been to Tynemouth – it’s nice that my work is starting to get recognised!’
Now Lucy is one of the winners of the North East Emerging Artist Award, meaning her work will be exhibited in summer 2025 at Seaton Delaval Hall. The North East Emerging Artist Award was established in 2021 and is open to artists from all artforms to showcase site-specific contemporary art in an historic context. Each of the shortlisted artists had been working on an individual proposal in response to the Hall and its history since January this year. Within the setting of Seaton Delaval Hall, for her exhibition, Lucy is imagining she has been commissioned by Rhoda Delaval, an accomplished artist and the eldest daughter of the Gay Delavals, to create a dining set.
Having graduated very recently, just to have been selected is a great deal for me as an artist to see that the work I’m creating is worth viewing, and for it to be taken to that next level. I think I’ll go quite large scale with the pieces and just to get the opportunity to scale something up on that level (and working on a National Trust site) is massive as well. It’s a great privilege to be involved in such an iconic heritage site.’
Lucy’s creations involve researching subjects and depicting her response by painting onto upcycled dishes, with a nod to traditional tableware. When starting new work, Lucy often begins by collecting pieces from charity shops. ‘They’re nearly always entirely blank and then I hand paint everything with a porcelain paint,’ she says. ‘They’re not fired in a kiln, I can actually fire them in the kitchen oven at home because of this specific type of paint. I’m not massively clued up in terms of ceramics. This is a much more simplistic way of doing things – I like that they’re repurposed and I’m giving them a new life to go further.’
Especially with her new project, Lucy is enjoying creating her work in the region, where she describes the arts community as ‘interlinked’. ‘I’ll start with an opportunity and somewhere along the line I’ll find someone who knows someone who’s connected to something else I’ve done,’ she explains. ‘It’s a really nice tight-knit community setting. At the moment I don’t have a studio as such but I share quite a lot on Instagram and through being a part of that community I’ve been able to establish my work, which is really nice and interactive. Although I’m working on my own, it doesn’t feel like I’m on my own in the context of other artists and other people working in the same capacity.’
Where’s your favourite place to walk in the North East?
I go to the coast quite a lot. So, anywhere in Tynemouth I love. Because I live in the countryside, it’s nice to get along the coast.
Is there an item you couldn’t live without?
My paints.
Is there a North East gallery you love?
I really enjoy going to the Baltic for the variety of pieces of work and exhibitions they get there.
What are your hopes and plans for the future?
I’d love to continue making and getting my pieces into exhibitions to be seen by wider audiences. I always have a bank of phrases for new pieces and I always have new pieces I want to create. It’s just about getting those out there.
To see more of Lucy’s work, search @waters_artlucy on Instagram, and visit nationaltrust.org.uk to find out more about the North East Emerging Artist Award exhibition at Seaton Delaval Hall from 14th May to 22nd June 2025.
